INSIGHTS FROM A TOP KEYNOTE SPEAKER
As I discuss in more depth below – for good reason – my Purpose is to help you succeed, so I hope you find this useful.
THE LEAST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE ROOM
As one of the world’s most booked keynote speakers with any where between 70 and 100 keynotes and engagements a year, on top of my other duties as the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Future and Deep Futures advisory firm, being a speaker let alone a keynote speaker was never on my radar, but despite this I still believe that every time I step on to a stage it’s great privilege to be able to spend quality time with people, be a part of their experience, and play a role in helping them improve their lives for the better, which from my point of view makes me the least important person in the room.
Looking to book a top keynote speaker who delivers real impact? Matthew Griffin is globally recognised award winning speaker who has inspired tens of millions worldwide. With powerful keynotes and executive masterclasses delivered in over 80 countries, he is trusted by governments and the world’s most respected brands to inspire action and help them build high performance organisations.
WHAT IS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER?
A keynote speaker is someone who headlines an event, and they’re often expected to help set the events central theme, tone, energy level and pace.
They are widely recognised as experts in their field, bringing both authority and authenticity to the stage, and their presence on the docket signals the event’s ambition, focus and goals, as well as the expected seniority of the audience and the calibre of insights people can expect, and they challenge, energise, and inspire audiences by drawing on a deep mix of compelling story telling, expertise, and real world expertise which sparks new thinking and leaves a lasting impact.
A great keynote speaker elevates the entire event – they unify the audience around a common purpose, generate meaningful discussion, and set a standard for the day, and their message lingers long after the crowds are gone and transforms how people think, act, and lead.
ATTRIBUTES OF A GREAT KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PURPOSE MATTERS
Motivational keynote speakers often say that Passion and Purpose matter – and they do. Purpose is your North Star, giving you direction, and Passion is the energy that drives you. Whether you’re already a keynote speaker or just starting out my advice is to get clear on your own Passion and Purpose and be honest with yourself about them both, then live and then embody those in your everyday actions and engagements.
As mentioned above, my personal purpose is to inspire, to serve, to inform, and help people realise their full potential, and those flow naturally into my professional purpose – helping people explore the future, shape it, and succeed. And, as the CEO of the 311 Institute I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can align both, and to be my “authentic self” in front of audiences – a trait that I believe is essential to help audiences connect with you and embrace the messages you’re sharing from the stage.
At the core, it’s this Purpose that fuels my ambition for keynote speaking which provides me with a platform from which to share insights and ideas that help and inform people. But, that said, not everyone is motivated in such a way – some crave the spotlight, the glitz, and the monetary rewards. And that’s alright if you’re honest with yourself about your motivation and that’s the point here – be clear on your purpose for wanting to be a keynote speaker, own it, because the moment you step onto stage your audience will know if you’re faking it and authenticity isn’t optional in this profession – it’s everything.
A SPEAKER WITH THE WRONG BACKSTORY
As I mentioned, being a keynote speaker was never on my radar. Like never. For a start at school I was horribly shy and an introvert, noone had my back or helped me discover who I was or could be, and then as a university grad I never thought I had anything interesting to say or to talk about anyway. Combine these together and I had the perfect reason to slip into mediocrity and never step onto any stage anywhere.
As with so many people though it’s these visceral, personal experiences, along with those I gained working for three Fortune 25 companies where profits were prioritised over people, that now motivate me to reach out, help others, and put the spotlight on them – not myself.
YOU ARE ONE OF MILLIONS
Did you know that in the United States alone over 1.5 Million people have the words “Keynote Speaker” in their LinkedIn title? Scale that globally it’s likely that there are tens of millions of keynote speakers in the world and even more who see keynote speaking as their calling – with many no doubt being attracted by the allure of big stages, big pay checks, and cameras following their every move like some Hollywood A-List movie set and being seduced by the seemingly never ending stream of images showing speakers travelling first class here there and everywhere. You know who you are.
For many in the industry though the reality of this “profession” – if we want to call it that – is very different. Most “stages” are a TV screen on a stand in a small conference room somewhere, the lighting is dim, and the cameras are stowed in boxes. And the first class trip to an exotic location? That’s often a grotty taxi after a spine breaking plane journey that you survived thanks to travelling diet of coffee and crisps. In many cases if you crave glamour then in the majority of cases you can forget it, and if you do then I’d also argue that you’re in the profession for the wrong reasons – none of this should be about you, everything you do should be about helping and inspiring others to feel better, be better, and do better.
As a Futurist I believe that the most valuable commodity in the world isn’t diamonds, gold, or Tritium – it’s time. And, as a keynote speaker you have to make every minute of your speech count because every minute you’re on stage you’re your consuming your audiences time.
THE SPOTLIGHT’S ON THE AUDIENCE NOT YOU
For many in the industry though the reality of this “profession” – if we want to call it that – is very different. Most “stages” are a TV screen on a stand in a small conference room somewhere, the lighting is dim, and the cameras are stowed in boxes. And the first class trip to an exotic location? That’s often a grotty taxi after a spine breaking plane journey that you survived thanks to travelling diet of coffee and crisps. In many cases if you crave glamour then in the majority of cases you can forget it, and if you do then I’d also argue that you’re in the profession for the wrong reasons – none of this should be about you, everything you do should be about helping and inspiring others to feel better, be better, and do better.
As a Futurist I believe that the most valuable commodity in the world isn’t diamonds, gold, or Tritium – it’s time. And, as a keynote speaker you have to make every minute of your speech count because every minute you’re on stage you’re your consuming your audiences valuable time.
GUEST SPEAKERS VS KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Every event will have a lineup of guest speakers, but the keynote speaker is the headline act – the anchor and voice of the event’s central theme. They are chosen not only for their credentials but for their ability to set the tone, inspire the audience, and deliver insights that align directly with the event’s purpose and direction.
While a speaker can sometimes play both roles the key difference usually comes down to expectations set during the discussions prior to the event. A keynote speaker is expected to deliver strategic value, not just to the audience, but to the event and its organisers which includes setting the overall tone and energy levels and offering authoritative insights that align with the event’s purpose and priorities.
By comparison guest speakers often have greater freedom to focus on their own personal journeys, share specialist views, or speak from experience without needing to tie everything back to the event’s core objectives. Their contribution is often more niche or narrative driven.
Ultimately, keynote and guest speakers are supposed to compliment each other with their narratives and viewpoints seamlessly reinforcing one another throughout the event. A standout keynote though doesn’t just inform – it captivates. It delivers timely, trusted, high impact insights that shift mindsets, spark conversations, and creates those unforgettable “You had to be there” moments that keep audiences talking long after the event ends.
THE FUTURE OF AI & CYBER 2030, FORTINET
THE FUTURE OF AMBITION & DISRUPTION, ABP
THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY 2040, AKL
THE FUTURE OF PLANNING 2030, WORKDAY
WHAT MAKES A GOOD KEYNOTE SPEECH?
A good keynote speech allows audiences to take home a world of understanding not previously attained elsewhere. Appealing to guests’ imagination and intellect in equal measure, a keynote speaker ensures guests are able to find solutions and arrive at conclusions, as well as broaden their outlook.
Delivering a finetuned keynote speech, focusing on the substance behind the speaker’s success, an expert from the worlds of business, enterprise, politics, sport, exploration and more can advance the delivery of an event with ease.
The best speakers in the world draw on a wide base of knowledge in their area, as well as their unique perspective to better the outcome of any conference or corporate event. Inspiring all in attendance with passion, drive and determination, a great keynote presentation offers unparalleled authenticity.
HOW DO YOU INTRODUCE A KEYNOTE SPEAKER?
Ideally, an introduction should be used to heighten excitement and prove the credentials of the keynote speaker in question before they take to the stage. Introducing the lead presentation should be concise and serve to ramp up anticipation for the main event. It is important not to linger too long, but long enough to give lead the crowd into a rapturous ovation as they come to the fore.
INTRODUCING KEYNOTE SPEAKER MATTHEW GRIFFIN
“A WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE FUTURE!”
NASA, KYLE E., SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR
Matthew Griffin, is a multi-award winning geopolitical advisor, leadership coach, and Futurist who NASA have described as a “Walking encyclopaedia of the future” and a “Futurist polymath.” One of the world’s most renowned Futurists and strategic foresight experts Matthew is the 15 times author of the best selling “Codex of the Future” series, and is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working across the next 50 years whose mission it is to democratise access to the future for everyone, irrespective of their abilities or background. An in demand international keynote speaker, university lecturer, and mentor he is also the only Futurist to have been invited to speak alongside world leaders at both the UN COP and WEF Davos, and his two multi-award winning YouTube channels put him in the top 0.1% of YouTubers worldwide.
A rare talent in his past Matthew helped build and lead several multi-billion dollar business units for Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, and his ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77+ governments, and many of the world’s most respected brands including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Disney, Dow, EY, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
MATTHEW’S KEYNOTE REEL
BETTER LEADERSHIP DECISION MAKING
VODAFONE : DISRUPTION AND OPPORTUNITY
PARTNERS GROUP : EMERGING TECHNOLOGY PANEL
MATTHEW'S DAILY WORK
In the most simplistic of terms our present day happens when different events converge – whatever those events are.
Some of these events are the result of things that were set in motion many years, decades, or even Millenia ago, such as the development of intrinsic human behaviours, others happen spontaneously, and the remainder fall somewhere in between. Unsurprisingly, the theory goes that the more of these events, or Signals, that we can catch early, the better able we are to model the impacts when they converge, then the better we should be able to forecast the Preferred, Plausible, Probable, and Preposterous futures. And this has been my personal mission for the past two decades, at Dell-EMC, IBM, and now at the 311 Institute – to identify as many Signals as possible, intensively research them all, including their behaviours and the forces driving them, and then work to develop the most accurate version of the future that we can.
One of the oddest comments I hear from Futurists, even some of the most renown, is that it’s impossible to predict the future, and that we aren’t here to predict anyway. But, I dismiss that point of view, because even with limited data we can predict things such as the continuance of Electric Vehicles, the continuous development of AI, and so forth. I also believe that the more Signals we can see, and the better able we are to understand their behaviours and impact, that the breadth of futures that we can predict can be increased. And, for those occasions when we don’t have data and or are working with imperfect data I developed the Anchoring Constants Foresight Model which so far has played a pivotal role of keeping my own predictions on track. Predictions, as you can see below, such as the emergence of Generative AI and autonomous AI companies, the democratisation of skills, and many others.
However, while envisioning the near and even medium term future is difficult, the further out we go the fuzzier the future gets.
WE ARE THE FUTURE
SEE EVERYTHING AND SUCEED
MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION
RAISING EVERYONE UP
REASONS TO BOOK MATTHEW
SEE EVERYTHING . EXPLORE EVERYTHING . SUCCEED .
The reason to book me as your next keynote speaker is simple: I can help you see EVERY FUTURE and SUCCEED.
Unlike other speakers I can show you the whole future, not just the 30% of it that others will show you. And then I can share the tools and thinking you and your audiences need to explore it, understand it, and lead it. I understand though that you may think of this as so much marketing hype, so to prove that it isn’t I encourage you to test me, and if you can find a topic that I can’t discuss at an expert level, and in greater depth than others, then I’ll DONATE $10,000 TO CHARITY.
Are you ready to take the challenge!?